Dangerous form of Eating Disorder "Anoreixa Nervosa" Affecting Men Too

Anorexia, an eating disorder characterized by unrealistic fear of weight gain, self-starvation, and conspicuous distortion of body image, has so far been associated with teenage girls, but a new survey conducted in Britain suggests that Anorexia is no longer a problem for only adolescent women even young men are falling prey to the decreased sensation of appetite.

Anorexia nervosa is classified as a psychophysiological disorder that usually occurs in young women and is characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming obese, a distorted self-image, a persistent unwillingness to eat, and severe weight loss. It is often accompanied by self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, malnutrition, amenorrhea, and other physiological changes.

According to the figures released by the Department of Health in Britain, the number of young men being treated for this lifestyle disease has gone up by 67% in the past five years.

The figures further indicate that though 32% or 1,700 men have received treatment for anorexia in the past year, certain areas were worse affected compared to others. The number of Anorexia cases in South East London has risen by 246%, while the figure has skyrocketed by 360% in Durham and by 139% in Yorkshire.

The results of the survey, based on the data provided by the British government, also revealed that number of children, less than 14 years of age and being treated at the hospitals, has gone up by 26% from 202 children in 2001-02 to 255 during the past year.

“The rise in male anorexia actually masked a much bigger problem because men traditionally are less likely to seek help,” said Susan Ringwood, the chief executive of eating disorder charity Beat. “There has been a rise in focus on the body aesthetic and that’s affecting men as well as girls.”

“Clinics are seeing many more men, as well as children as young as eight. We know children are more likely to develop an eating disorder during puberty, and puberty is starting on average five years earlier than it did 50 years ago,” she added.

Susan went on saying that the rise can be blamed to a number magazines and commercials that feature wafer-thin models, inciting young women, and now men too, to Anorexia, an eating disorder which is commonly described as "self-starvation."

Characteristics of the eating disorder known as anorexia nervosa include a refusal to maintain a minimally normal weight, an unrealistic fear of putting on pounds, a disturbed and unrealistic body image, and (in women) the absence of menstrual periods. Experts call the disorder as a complex condition involving psychological, sociological and neurobiological components.